About being part of the timebank

Core values of a timebank

Redefining work. Work which raises healthy children, builds strong families, makes democracy work needs to be honoured, recorded and rewarded.

Reciprocity. Helping works better as a two-way street.

Social networks. We need each other. Community is built on sinking roots, building trust.

Respect. Respect demands accountabiity

Why join a timebank and what is the kaupapa of a timebank?

Timebanking adds richness to timebankers’ lives — it brings ‘wealth’, in the form of friendship, caring for one another, having our needs met from within our own community and getting help with things we can’t do

Skills which are often taken for granted are valued — especially non-market skills.

Communities with timebanks get stronger

Friendships are formed between people of different backgrounds, people that would not usually have met. People of all abilities can contribute. The elderly are cared for and the skills they share are valued. Everyone has something they can contribute to the well-being of the whole.

How safe is the timebank?

Member’s referees are talked to before they can join. Continue to take usual care in selecting who you choose to have in your home or with you.

What skills can I offer?

You can offer any skill except what you do for your taxable income. That means things that we are good at, things we enjoy, hobbies or talents. Be creative!

But I have no spare time!

If we do the things we like, for instance gardening or cooking, and get another member to do the things we don’t enjoy (for example mending clothes), we find the time we do have is spent more enjoyably, and we are also helping others in our community.

The Community Chest

The Community Chest collects donated time to give to members who are sick, frail or in crisis. Please consider donating time to the Community Chest.

About the Otaki Timebank

The Otaki Timebank covers Kapiti and Horowhenua, a spread out area. Most trading takes place in local neighbourhoods: For instance Manakau people trade mostly with other Manakau people, but sometimes they will trade with Otaki or Levin. Each neighbourhood has its own home page, where they see the offers and requests within their neighbourhood, but they can also see the offers and requests from the wider timebank. For something special you may be willing to travel from one end of the region to the other!

Help someone else and then you can be helped. It is that simple, yet it has profound effects. It is like a babysitting circle, but with every service covered and an inbuilt social security system in its structure. Yet it is more than that, it builds self esteem and fosters wellbeing. Timebanking connects people within communities and creates caring friendships and vibrancy.

When a timebank is working, people notice the links in a community develop and multiply between people who would not normally have met. A timebank brings out the best in people. Your time is counted and credited to your Timebank account and that makes it easy to ask for help. It is about making volunteering more sustainable.

If you have time credits which you don't want you can donate them to the Community Chest. Then they can be used to help someone who is very sick or frail or elderly.

What will this cost me and who is it for?

It is particularly for the time rich members of the community and those new to the district find it a great way to get involved.To cover our costs we ask $10 one-off fee